Quotes About Materialism

Thriftless gives, not from a beneficent pleasure in giving, but from a lazy delight in spending.

I'll give my jewels for a set of beads, My gorgeous palace for a hermitage, My gay apparel for an almsman's gown, My figured goblets for a dish of wood, My scepter for a palmer's walking staff My subjects for a pair of carved saints and my large kingdom for a little grave.

Put money in thy purse.

i buy a thousand pound a year! i buy a rope!

Projects undreamed of by past generations will absorb our immediate descendants, comforts, activities, amenities, pleasures will crowd upon them, but their hearts will ache and their lives will be barren, if they have not a vision above material things.

I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust.

Cuántos millones de papanatas habrá en el mundo decididos a demostrarles a sus vecinos que tienen algo más que ellos?

Sólo hay algo mejor que gastar el dinero: contarlo. Porque sólo lo gastas una vez, pero puedes contarlo todas las que quieras, y decir: Es mío.

La cultura europea ha subito un processo di secolarizzazione e di trasformazione in senso materialistico che non solo ha distrutto la sua unità, ma che, alla fine, la minaccia di imbarbarimento, poiché significa un ritorno all'etica della tribù e alla riduzione della democrazia alla dittatura di massa e della scienza a una specie di magia utilitarista.

L'Europa conseguì la leadership della cultura mondiale non mediante la ricchezza materiale, ma mediante la preminenza nelle cose dello spirito: nella scienza, nella letteratura e nelle idee. Essa creò gli ideali che il resto del mondo seguì. Se la democrazia moderna dovesse comportare la cessazione di questa missione e l'abbandono della leadership spirituale per l'appagamento materiale, allora ciò significherebbe proprio il declino della cultura occidentale.

I think the materialist conception of history is valid.

The model of ownership, in a society organized round mass consumption, is addiction.

In our society, daily experience teaches the individual to want and need a never-ending supply of new toys and drugs.

It is the logic of consumerism that undermines the values of loyalty and permanence and promotes a different set of values that is destructive of family life.

In a simpler time, advertising merely called attention to the product and extolled its advantages. Now it manufactures a product of its own: the consumer, perpetually unsatisfied, restless, anxious, and bored. Advertising serves not so much to advertise products as to promote consumption as a way of life. It 'educates' the masses into an unappeasable appetite not only for goods but for new experiences and personal fulfillment.

A publicidade moderna procura promover não tanto a auto-indulgência, mas a autodúvida. Ela procura criar necessidades, não satisfazê-las, gerar novas ansiedades, em vez de atenuar antigas.

Excess of wealth is cause of covetousness.

Respondents who say that they want to find purpose and meaning in life also rate public-interest goals high in importance. Self-interest and materialist goals are unrelated to public-interest goals or to the desire to find purpose and meaning in life.

This is the treasure my lifestyle has earned me. Millions in the bank but an empty soul.

Sounds descriptive of some TV evangelists from the "name it and claim it" crowd. They certainly are "rich and increased with goods . . .")

The things you own end up owning you. It's only after you lose everything that you're free to do anything.

You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You are not your fucking khakis. You are all singing, all dancing crap of the world.

The things you used to own, now they own you.

We live in a generation where people will gladly choose a gold plaited piece of wood,over a mud clustered bag of diamonds . That's 21st century !!